SHAHAN, Tom A. 1948-2004

SHAHAN, JERMIER, STURDIVANT

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 2/20/2009 at 20:32:20

CHARLES CITY, IOWA — Tommy A. Shahan, 55, of 806 N. Iowa St. in Charles City, Floyd county, Iowa, died following a sudden illness on Wednesday evening (Nov. 3, 2004) at the Floyd County Memorial Hospital in Charles City.

Tom’s life will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, 2004, at Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall, 605 S. Iowa St. in Charles City, with Al Williams officiating.

A memorial visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Fullerton-Hage Funeral Home, 401 Blunt St. in Charles City.

Those wishing to extend memorials or expressions of sympathy may direct them to the Tommy A. Shahan Memorial Fund.

Tom Shahan was born Nov. 19, 1948, at the Floyd County Memorial Hospital in Charles City, to Melvin G. and Dorothy I. (Jermier) Shahan. He was the second child and only son born to his parents.

Tom attended and graduated from Charles City High School in 1967 and took delight in driving around town in his ’57 blue and white Chevy BelAire.

Tom drove a school bus for Charles City Schools. At this time in his life, he met his future wife, Beth Sturdivant. They were united in marriage on Oct. 19, 1974, at the Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall in Charles City, and last month celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. Tom and Beth became the proud parents of four daughters. Not only was his family important, but also serving his God Jehovah. Tom was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1974.

Tom was employed at Solvay Animal Health in Charles City as a chemical operator. After working for the company for 15 years, Tom became disabled due to a back injury. Tom had the opportunity to serve the community of Charles City several years ago as an EMT with the ambulance service. He was among the first class of EMT students trained in Iowa.

Tom developed a great admiration and many of his life-long skills through the close connection he had with his Grandpa George, such as learning the art of rock collecting and woodworking. Some of Grandpa George’s greatest woodworking honors include the woodwork in the main lobby of St. Marys Hospital and the woodwork at the Mayo brothers mansion, both in Rochester, Minn. In parallel, Tom’s main woodworking accomplishment is the beautifully finished woodwork within the walls of the Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall in Charles City.

Tom had a passion for looking at trees and envisioning a piece of furniture or project that the perfect cuts of raw wood could create. Within his own home, his “museum-quality” rock collection is displayed in a case of his own handiwork. Most of the woodwork, as well as some of the furniture and wood pieces in his home, are examples of Tom’s pride in his special craft.

Tom is described by his family as a perfectionist in whatever project he decided to tackle. Some of his favorite interests and activities included tending to his flower gardens, especially growing day lilies; grooming his well-kept yard; feeding and watching birds, and visiting apple orchards in the fall with his family.

Throughout Tom’s life, he enjoyed caring for pet dogs, including his childhood companion of 14 years, Tippy, and his recent flat-coated retriever, Ty.

Tom’s family recalls the joy he found dining on some of his favorite foods, such as Grandma Jermier’s apple pie and kolaches, Mom’s potato salad, and his wife’s lasagna and peach cobbler.

Tom will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Beth, of Charles City; his four daughters, Leah (Dave) Diercks, Jeanette Shahan, Rachel Shahan and Sarah Shahan, all of Charles City; his granddaughter, Callista Diercks; his parents, Melvin and Dorothy Shahan of Charles City; his sister, Terry (Dewitt) Hansen of Waterloo; his mother-in-law, Evelyn Sturdivant, of Charles City, and his sister-in-law, Anne Sturdivant, and her husband, Gary Fleishacker, of Minneapolis, Minn. Tom will also be sadly missed by many aunts, uncles, cousins and numerous other relatives and friends.

Preceding Tom in death were his grandparents, George and Irene Jermier and Warren and Mayme Shahan; his father-in-law, Paul Sturdivant, and his uncle, Earl Zanger.

Fullerton Hage Funeral Home and Cremation Services, (641) 228-4211 -- www.fullertonfh.com.

[Mason City Globe Gazette]